1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to washers of flexible material, such as rubber or the like, especially for use in providing a water tight seal between separable connections as in electrical conduit connections or the fitting between an electrical conduit and a junction box. More particularly this invention relates to a novel and improved reinforcement for a flexible sealing washer.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The U.S. Pat. No. 3,575,429, Apr. 20, 1971 of Spofford recognizes the problem of uncontrolled distortion which may be encountered when an unreinforced sealing washer such as a plain rubber o-ring is used in an effort to attain a watertight seal. This Spofford U.S. patent discloses a metallic washer reinforcing element which extends largely exteriorly of the flexible washer. While the Spofford washer reinforcement technique does minimize uncontrolled distortion of the flexible washer, the cost of this disclosed arrangement is high and arrangement of the reinforcing element largely exteriorly of the flexible washer materially limits the portion of the flexible washer which is available to serve as the sealing agent in the connection which is desired to make watertight.